


Tabby and Tortoiseshell

by sbdrag



Category: Bleach
Genre: Cats, M/M, Messing with Fate, True Love, model grimmjow, moved from ff.net, people turn into cats, still not sure where i got this idea but i think it was a prompt, that's... no that's pretty much it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 20:38:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6023839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbdrag/pseuds/sbdrag
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Due to some random Arrancar chick, Ichigo and Grimmjow are cursed. During the day, Grimmjow is a cat. For one hour at dusk, he and Ichigo are both cats. Then, for the night, Ichigo is a cat. But at dawn, for one hour, they are both in their normal forms. And, according to Urahara, the only solution is for them to fall in love. So, nothing to worry about. ... right?</p><p>*Moved from FF.net with editing*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Necessary Exposition

Ichigo sighed, heading back home alone after school. Orihime had to go grocery shopping, Chad had something to do, and Ishida was probably hunting hallows again. Whatever. It wasn't like he needed someone with him. 

That was when he spotted the cat laying on the sidewalk. It looked dead. Ichigo leaned down next to it. It looked like it was banged up, but still alive. He snorted. _Who ever heard of a blue cat?_

But he didn't rise. The cat had more reitsu than he would expect. Not a ridiculous amount, but just a little more than usual. And there was something… familiar about it. After a few moments, he sighed.

Without further ado, he pulled the cat into his arms. It was a pretty big cat, about the size of a small dog. For a moment, Ichigo felt his throat constrict, and almost fell over. But it only lasted a moment. Then, looking around for anything out of place, he headed home, the tortoiseshell cat tucked into the crook of his arm.

When he got home, Yuzu was there to greet him.

"Welcome home, big brother!"

Ichigo smiled a little.

Then she noticed the cat. "What's that?"

"Found him laying in the street. Thought I'd clean him up a bit."

Yuzu smiled brightly. "Oh, okay!" She rushed back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

Karin was already there, watching something on TV. Ichigo climbed the stairs and went into his room. He deposited the cat on his bed so he could change, and the animal stirred. It blinked a few times, then jumped up. Ichigo watched as it looked all around it, even running in a circle. Then it looked up at him.

Ichigo blinked. The cat's eyes were as blue as its fur. Then the cat jumped from the bed, onto his desk and then to the top of his dresser. It looked at itself in the mirror there, staring intently.

"Well, you're lively, for looking dead ten minutes ago."

The cat glared at him over its shoulder.

Ichigo ignored it, changing out of his uniform.

The cat was admiring itself in the mirror a bit more, then turned and jumped down. It sat, staring at the teenager as if considering.

_"Hollow! Hollow! Hollow!"_

Ichigo sighed as his badge went off. He reached for it, but suddenly his body froze.

His throat constricted once again. An overwhelming feeling of disgust and pain washed through him, like all his nerves were on fire and something slimy was swallowing him whole. He fell to his knees. Sweat beaded on his brow against the pain - he could feel something cracking and squelching, like his insides were rearranging themselves. Ichigo curled on his side, trying to block out whatever it was that was happening. His mouth opened, but he couldn't get enough air to scream.

The cat watched with interest now, unmoving. 

After minutes that felt more like hours, all the pain dissipated, and Ichigo could breath. He lay on the ground, panting. He was too weak to move. He didn't even want to open his eyes.

"Hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?"

Ichigo tried to groan, but it came out as more of a mewl. He _knew_ that voice. He cracked open his eyes.

The blue cat was standing over him, an absolutely feral grin on its face.

Ichigo stared. _How did a cat make that expression, anyways?_

The cat snorted, then moved out of his sight.

Ichigo felt something prod his back, until he was laying on his stomach. He found keeping his eyes open becoming easier.

Then the blue cat was in front of him again, sitting and staring.

Ichigo looked up at it… then it hit him.

He jumped to his feet, but the blue cat was still taller than him. He looked down at himself. Instead of hands, he found little orange paws. He spun, trying to see the rest of himself.

"Is it really that hard to figure out?"

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean!?"

The other cat rolled his eyes. "You're a cat." 

"What do you mean I'm a cat!?" Ichigo hissed at the blue cat, then jumped back in surprise.  _Hissed?_ _He_ ** _hissed_** _?_

The other cat gave him a dead pan look. It stood, then clawed him on the top of the head.

Ichigo jumped back with a yowl.

"You're a cat. Deal with it already."

"How am I supposed to calmly accept something like that!" 

" _Che._ " The blue cat sat. "Stop being a fucking pussy already."

Ichigo stared.

The blue cat glared.  _"What?"_

"You have no idea what you just said, do you?"

"Wha… oh." The blue cat giggle-snorted, grinning. It remained composed a moment, then burst out laughing.

Ichigo sat, staring. _Well, this guy looked like he was going to be very helpful._ With a sigh, he jumped on his bed. He started pawing the Soul Reaper badge, hoping it would trigger something.

"That's not going to work." The other cat was still grinning as it joined Ichigo on the bed.

"How would you know?" Kurosaki sat.

The blue cat snorted. "Can't you tell? Our reitsu has practically disappeared in this form."

Ichigo tilted his head. "How does a cat know about reitsu?"

The blue cat dead panned without losing its grin. "Oh man, you haven't figured it out yet?"

Ichigo narrowed his eyes. He rose, circling the other cat.

The blue cat sat, watching with amusement as he was examined.

After a moment, Ichigo sat in front of him. He and the blue cat held each other's gaze.

"I have no idea," Ichigo said.

" _Che._ " The blue cat tilted his head arrogantly. "Let me give you a hint - even though it's annoying as hell, this form is actually pretty appropriate."

 Ichigo stared blankly in confusion, then his eyes widened in realization. He jumped back, completely tense. "Grimmjow!"

"Took you long enough." Grimmjow laid down and yawned.

Ichigo relaxed, feeling a little stupid. He padded over.

Grimmjow watched him lazily.

"What is this?"

Grimmjow licked his paw, then rubbed it over his ear. "Hell if I know."

"Bullshit. You were a cat first, and you didn't seem all that surprised when I turned into one."

"Doesn't mean I know anything."

Ichigo clawed at him, but he was up in a blur.

Grimmjow bowled into him, and Ichigo hissed and bit his shoulder. Grimmjow yowled, clawing what he could reach. Ichigo let go of his bite, scratching instead, and Grimmow attacked in the same way. In the meantime, they tumbled off the bed to the floor. They jumped apart, glaring at each other.

Then Grimmjow sighed, sitting. "Look, all I know is some weird Arrancar chick did something to me that hurt like hell and when I woke up I was a cat and in your fucking room."

"…alright, fine, you don't know anything." Ichigo sat.

Grimmjow snorted, cleaning himself by licking his shoulder.

Ichigo stared at nothing, thinking. He wasn't sure why he'd gotten pulled into whatever happened to Grimmjow, but he did know he didn't like it. _Why the hell did he have to be pulled into this, anyways? It was the stupid Espada's fault; he probably did something to piss the chick off._ Ichigo sighed, sitting.

 _But who could he ask about this? Urahara was probably his best bet. That guy would have a field day with this… and he was much better than Mayuri._ Ichigo shuddered. _Anything was better than Mayuri._

Ichigo flinched as a weight suddenly settled on his shoulders, forcing him to lay down.

"What the-"

"Shut up. You're thinking too loud."

"What?"

Grimmjow sighed. "Crash course on being a cat. When you think, it shows in your body language. You're too inexperienced to read it, but you're too inexperienced to hide it, too. So, you're thinking too loud."

"… are you just going to stay there?"

Grimmjow snorted, then grinned, thinking.

Ichigo jumped as a rough tongue licked him behind the ear.

"What the hell are you doing?" He tried vainly to struggle away.

Grimmjow just draped over him further. "You're pretty scrawny, aren't you?"

Kurosaki hissed, finally managing to pull away.

Grimmjow laughed at his expression.

"… this is going to be a long night…" Ichigo jumped on the bed, and scratched at the side of the window. If he could just get it open…

"Yeah, that'll work."

Ichigo ignored him.

Then Grimmjow yowled, and Ichigo whipped around.

Kurosaki watched in horrified fascination as the blue cat writhed in pain, then began changing. He could hear sickening squelches and cracking as bones reformed themselves. It took all of about five minutes before it was over.

Panting, Grimmjow rose to his feet. He was back to his original form. Looking up at Ichigo, he grinned. "Hurts just as much changing back."

He took a step forward, and Ichigo suddenly had the thought to run.

Grimmjow caught him before he got anywhere, picking him up by the scruff.

Ichigo glared as the Espada held him in front of his face.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Ichigo glared, swiping at him.

The Arrancar held him out further before the hit landed. He chuckled. "Is that anyway to treat the guy trying to help you?"

Ichigo yowled.

Grimmjow sighed, grinning still.

"Can't understand you anymore."

Ichigo blinked in surprise as he was moved to Grimmjow's shoulder. He looked at the Espada, who mutely stepped on his futon and opened the window.

"You were gonna head to Urahara Kisuke's place, right?"

Ichigo nodded, then dug into Grimmjow's shirt with his claws as the Arrancar jumped and ran down the street. He yowled in protest.

Grimmjow grinned, ignoring him. Suddenly, he stopped.

Without thinking, Ichigo jumped to the ground. He turned to glare at Grimmjow, who just shrugged.

"This is the place, right?" He pointed.

Ichigo looked. They were in front of Urahara's shop. He looked at Grimmjow and tried to tell him, but what came out were cat noises.

Grimmjow sighed. "I already told you I can't understand you anymore."

Ichigo sat indignantly, then nodded.

With an eyeroll, Grimmjow stepped up and pounded on the door.

After a few moments, Tessai came to the door.

"Sorry, sir, the shop is…" the big man trailed off as he noticed the hole in Grimmjow's stomach.

"Is the owner here?" Grimmjow asked, face impassive.

Ichigo, deciding against waiting, zipped through the partially open door, running into the back of the shop despite protests by Tessai. He passed by, using his limited powers to follow Urahara's reitsu to him.

The former shinigami was asleep.

Ichigo looked at him a moment, then walked up and sat next to the futon. Then he yowled as loud as he possibly could.

Urahara sat straight up, eyes wide and panicked as he looked around. Then he spied Ichigo. He stared blankly.

"A… cat…?" 

"It's Ichigo."

Ichigo and Urahara looked to the door of the room, where Tessai was failing to hold Grimmjow back.

Urahara blinked, then looked at Ichigo again. "… Ichigo?"

Kurosaki nodded.

Urahara looked up to think. Then he looked at the door. "And you are…?"

"Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. Recently turned into a cat, until about ten minutes ago."

"Ah… I see…" Urahara said. Then he grinned. "Well, I guess I'd better get to work then."

'Work' consisted of having Ichigo and Grimmjow wait for him in front of the store while he got dressed. Then Urahara joined them and Tessai brought tea.

"So, what happened?"

Grimmjow sighed. "Some chick showed up and did something to me that hurt like a bitch in heat and next thing I knew I was a cat." 

"Is that all?" Urahara asked pulled out his fan.

"Yes."

Urahara sipped his tea. "Tell me the exact details."

Grimmjow flinched, the scratched the back of his head. With a sigh, he started his story.

> " _Would you help me?"_
> 
> _Grimmjow snorted. Some chick was standing in his way. She had these sickeningly sweet eyes, and silver hair tumbling down her back. Her mask was just a sliver of bone above her right eye, her hollow hole in her shoulder. Lately, the former Espada had been aimlessly wandering around Heuco Mundo, looking for entertainment. He hadn't found much. And now there was this chick from out of fucking nowhere, asking him if he would help her._
> 
> "… _why the fuck not?" Grimmjow looked to the side. Maybe it would be entertaining._
> 
> " _Oh, good." The Arrancar girl flicked him in the chest._
> 
> _Grimmjow's throat constricted, and he fell to one knee, eyes bulging. It felt like something had been torn out of him. Sweating, forcing his head up as if against a great weight, he tried to glare at the chick. But all he could manage was surprise._
> 
> _She held in her hand a glowing ball of blue energy, different veins of color passing through it. The girl tutted._ " _That's so sad! You're fated to_ never _be with your true love! Isn't it sad?"_
> 
> _Grimmjow tried to reply that he didn't give a fuck, but he still couldn't breathe. T_
> 
> _he Arrancar girl grinned ferally._ " _Well then, since you would have been willing to help me, why don't I help you?" She moved her fingers around in the sphere._
> 
> _Grimmjow collapsed, feeling like she'd ripped right through him._
> 
> " _Of course, I can't just make it so, you know? But I'll make it less certain, and I'll even help you along! I'll make it so you two need each other to survive, how's that?"_
> 
> _Grimmjow struggled to stay conscious._ What the _fuck_ was she doing? _It felt like his body was changing; horrible, black and ugly. Like his insides were playing twister over tripwire on a needleboard while Syazel experimented on him._
> 
> " _Don't worry, little kitty, it'll be over soon. I just need to… there! All done!"_
> 
> _Grimmjow fuzzily saw the chick poke him in the chest again, and all the pain ceased. He tried to get up, but knew he was more likely to pass out. Not good._
> 
> " _Now, since you're fate's been tampered with, my curse will stay in place until it becomes clear again. So do well, okay?"_
> 
> " _Fuck you…" Grimmjow mumbled, passing into oblivion as the Arrancar chick laughed._

Ichigo and Urahara stared.

Grimmjow glared back.  _"What?"_  

"… well, it sounds like-"

"Don't _fucking_ say it." Grimmjow crossed his arms.

Urahara snorted, then couldn't help himself and fell into giggles.

Ichigo looked at him, then stared back at Grimmjow.

The Arrancar looked at him sidelong. "What?"

"Mrrow." Ichigo looked to the side.

" _Che_ , whatever." Grimmjow looked away. "How long are you going to keep laughing?"

"Sorry," Urahara said, mastering himself. "Well, it sounds like there's nothing I can do."

Grimmjow glared. "… you're kidding."

"Nope, fraid not! If this girl is messing with people's fate, there's nothing I can do about it. Unless you want to end up worse off, that is."

"Then how am I supposed to get back to normal!?"

Ichigo yowled in unison.

Urahara giggled, waving his hand. "Well, it sounds like the solution is simple." He snapped his fan shut, pointing it at them. "You and Ichigo have to fall in love."

"… can I kill you…?" Grimmjow glared and smiled at the same time.

Ichigo opened his mouth to yowl something, but suddenly collapsed.

Urahara blinked in surprise, but Grimmjow held up a hand to stop the man from moving forward. The two watched as Ichigo transformed from a cat back into a human.

"… fucking… _hell_ …" Ichigo panted.

"Warned ya, didn't I?" Grimmjow asked.

"Shut up." Ichigo got up to sit.

Urahara was gawking. "Astounding… simply astounding…"

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do?" Ichigo looked directly at Urahara.

The man flinched, then opened his fan again. "There's really nothing."

Ichigo sighed, then nodded. "Fine." He looked at Grimmjow sidelong.

The Arrancar met his gaze, then looked away.

Ichigo looked away as well.

Urahara looked between them, eyes calculating. Behind his fan, he smiled.


	2. Let's Get Started For Real Now

Ichigo sighed softly.

"What?" Grimmjow asked.

They were walking side by side, headed back to Ichigo's house. Mostly because there was nowhere else to go.

"Nothing."

Grimmjow snorted, looking to the side. They walked in silence.

Ichigo wondered if Grimmjow had heard the Arrancar chick right, but he knew asking would just piss the former Espada off, so he didn't. _And why cats? Out of everything, why did they turn into cats? It made absolutely no sense. Well, for Grimmjow maybe, but otherwise…_

" _Hck_ , here we go."

Ichigo had just enough time to catch the Arrancar before he fell to the ground. Easing him down, Ichigo watched sympathetically as Grimmjow made the transformation into a cat. He stared for a few moments as the now cat Grimmjow panted, laying pathetically on the street. After a moment, he sighed and picked Grimmjow up.

The cat blinked up at him, then snorted and clamored up onto Ichigo's shoulders.

Ichigo flinched, then relaxed as Grimmjow settled. Then, putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans, he kept walking, trying not to be bothered by the heat around his neck. "… you know, you're really big, for a cat."

Grimmjow snorted, then smirked and started purring.

Ichigo's face fell. "Keep that up and I'll make you walk on your own."

Grimmjow ignored him.

Ichigo grabbed him by the scruff and dropped him.

The cat glared up at him.

Ichigo shrugged. "I warned you. Ah!"

The teen hissed as Grimmjow, being none too gentle, leap onto his back, and climbed back up to his shoulder, digging in with his claws.

"Alright, I get it, I get it." He let Grimmjow settle.

The blue cat smirked again, purring.

Ichigo sighed, but kept walking.  _How long was it going to be like this…?_

* * *

 

Ichigo went the school day as usual. There were a few hollow attacks, but nothing big. However, Rukia stopped him in the hall.

"Where were you last night?" she asked, crossing her arms.

Ichigo sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "It's… complicated."

Rukia kicked him in the face. " _Idiot!_ It could have been something big!"

Ichigo got to his feet, glaring. "It's not like I skipped out! I couldn't make it."

Rukia narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Ichigo sighed again. "Come on, it'll be easier to show you."

Rukia blinked, then followed without a word, wondering what it could possibly be.

They walked all the way to Ichigo's house, picking up Chad, Orihime and Uryuu on the way. No one asked any questions, waiting for Ichigo to show them what the problem was.

Ichigo opened the door to his room. _"Really?"_  

Grimmjow, lounging on the completely messed up futon, grinned. The rest of the room was trashed as well.

"When did you get a cat?" Rukia asked, walking in behind Ichigo.

"I didn't know you liked cats, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "It's not that I like or dislike them." He started picking up his room. "I'm just stuck with this one."

"How do you 'get stuck' with a cat?" Uryuu asked, pushing up his glasses.

Righting the lamp, Ichigo sighed. "That cat is Grimmjow Jeagerjaques."

There was a moment of silence.

"You're kidding," Rukia said.

Ichigo kept on fixing things. "Nope. He's a cat all day, and I'm a cat all night."

There was another moment of silence.

"You're kidding," Rukia again, now with 50% more skepticism.

Ichigo moved to the futon. "Move your ass." He put his hands on his hips.

The cat stretched out on its back, ignoring him.

With a shrug, Ichigo ripped the blanket off.

Grimmjow yowled in protest, fighting his way out of the sheet. He glared and hissed, then turned and jumped on top of the desk.

"Kurosaki, is this some kind of bad joke?" Uryuu asked.

Ichigo, fixing his blankets, glance at the quincey. "Nope. I'm being totally serious." 

"How do expect anyone to belie-"

"How did it happen?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo sighed, sitting on the newly made futon. "He-" The teen pointed at Grimmjow, "-got his fate messed with by some Arrancar chick."

"Why?" Chad asked.

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. He looked at Grimmjow. "Ask him." He looked back to his friends. "In a couple of hours, he'll be able to answer you."

"What does being a cat feel like?" Orihime asked, sitting down next to Ichigo.

Kurosaki looked up in thought. "… I don't know. Like a cat?"

Grimmjow snorted.

Ichigo glared.

"Oh. Well, does it hurt to change?" Orihime asked.

Ichigo paused, then looked to the side. "Nah, not really." 

"Nya!" Grimmjow said loudly in disagreement.

"Shut up, freeloaders don't get an opinion."

Grimmjow made a plethora of cat noises in response. Then, after a pause, jumped down from the desk and up onto the bed. He planted himself on the other side of Ichigo from Orihime.

"… so it does hurt," Chad said.

Ichigo flinched, but said nothing.

"How can you all accept this?" Uryuu said, in complete disbelief.

Everyone stared.

"Well, I mean, considering everything that's happened so far, this really isn't that far-fetched, you know?" Rukia said, Orihime and Chad nodding in agreement.

Uryuu sighed. "Yes, but why Ichigo and Grimmjow? What kind of sense does that make?"

Everyone paused.

"Hey, why is it you two?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo blinked, then flushed lightly.

Grimmjow smirked.

Kurosaki opened his mouth to reply, but whatever he had to say was cut off by a stifled cry. He fell off the bed, collapsing to the floor.

"Kurosaki?"

"Ichigo!"

He was beyond their voices. He simply took the pain of the transformation as well as he could, and lay, full cat, panting on the floor. _He'd thought he had more time…_

"Nice explanation," Grimmjow said, jumping down from the bed.

"Fuck you," Ichigo said, slowly getting to his feet. He looked up.

Everyone was staring.

"How you gonna handle this one?" Grimmjow asked, grinning.

Ichigo hissed at him, sitting.

Orihime got off the bed and leaned down. "Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo mewed at her.

"…I have to report this," Rukia said.

Ichigo nodded. The Soul Society would definitely need to be notified about something like this.

"But wait, shouldn't he have changed?" Orihime asked, looking at Grimmjow.

The blue cat rolled his eyes.

Ichigo sighed. He'd forgotten to explain the hour thing. He tried thinking of how to explain it without actually explaining it…

"Oof!" he said as Grimmjow collapsed on top of him.

"Thinking too loud again," he said, looking into the distance of nowhere.

Ichigo growled. "Well, there's not much I can do about that, is there?"

Grimmjow snorted. "I didn't expect it to be this much a problem. You didn't seem the type to think this much."

"… was that an insult?"

Grimmjow grinned. "You can decide that for yourself, prissy paws."

Ichigo made a face despite not being able to look at Grimmjow. "Prissy paws?"

Grimmjow yawned. "Yeah, I mean, seriously, what kind of guy lives in a room this clean?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. There was a moment where they didn't say anything to each other, oblivious to what the humans in the room were discussing nearby.

"Hello everyone!"

Everyone turned to the door to Ichigo's room. It was Urahara, obviously smiling behind his fan.

Ichigo tried to get up, and Grimmjow let him.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked.

To Urahara it sounded like a mutilated yowl.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

Urahara just leaned down. "I'll bet you're wondering why I'm here."

Ichigo nodded.

"Well, you see, I've really outdone myself. I figured that, being an Arrancar, Mr. Jeagerjaques would have trouble getting around town when only shinigami and certain individuals could see him."

Grimmjow's ears perked up at his name, and he padded over to sit next to Ichigo, listening as well.

"So, I did something new. I made a gigai to contain an Arrancar."

Everyone's eyes in the room widened.

Ichigo and Grimmjow looked at each other.

Then Ichigo looked at Urahara and began practically howling in protest, while Grimmjow grinned wider than anyone had seen by far.

Urahara simply smiled, knowing exactly how Ichigo probably felt. But, the former shinigami really had outdone himself, and was proud of his work. Especially since it would probably be put to more than one good use. Giving Ichigo a quick scratch behind the ears (which, to the orange tabby's dismay, made him start to purr), Urahara stood.

It was then that Grimmjow whined, collapsing to the ground. Everyone watched in horrified fascination as the tortoiseshell blue cat turned back into his original form.

Panting, he grinned. He looked at Ichigo. "The pain's getting less, I think." he said.

Ichigo snorted, looking off to the side in irritation.

Then the Arrancar looked at Urahara. "Now, what was this about a gigai…?"


	3. Grimmjow Gets a Gigai and a J-O-B

Grimmjow sighed in irritation. He was walking down the street, dressed up in some outfit Urahara had put on the gigai- t _he fucking gigai! Ugh! How could he be so stupid!_

 

> _Urahara led everyone downstairs. Tessai was in the kitchen, with something wrapped up in a cloth sitting in one of the chairs. Isshin stood to one said, drinking tea._
> 
> _"Urahara, how can you possibly think this is a good idea?" Rukia asked._
> 
> _T_ _he shopkeeper giggled._ _"Oh, I don't know, I thought it would be fun!"_
> 
> _Rukia groaned._ _"He's a dangerous Arrancar! A former Espada! How is that in anyway_ fun _?"_
> 
> _"You know, I can hear you," Grimmjow said, irked._
> 
> _"Oh? But he'll be here regardless, so why not make things more interesting?" Urahara said._
> 
> _"Sometimes I really wonder about you…" Uryruu said, mostly to himself._
> 
> _"So, Mr. Jeagerjaques," Urahara said, pulling the cloth off with a flourish, "What do you think of my work?"_
> 
> _Grimmjow snorted. It looked just like him, minus his hallow mask. And he doubted there was a hole in the stomach, either. Other than that, it was perfect._ _"Looks good, so how do I use it?"_
> 
> _Ichigo yowled in protest, first at Urahara then at his father._
> 
> _Without Grimmjow seeing, Isshin put a finger to his lips and winked._
> 
> _Ichigo shut up and blinked. His head whipped to where Urahara was instructing Grimmjow._
> 
> _"Now, you should be able to just fuse with it," the shopkeeper said._
> 
> _Grimmjow snorted._ _"Whatever." He stepped forward, Rukia protesting in the background, and curiously grabbed one of the gigai's wrists ."The fuck!"_
> 
> _Everyone watched in amazement as Grimmjow's spirit form was sucked into the gigai. It was dead silent as they watched, and then the gigai blinked his eyes open. And then growled, jumping up and making to punch Urahara in the face._
> 
> _Urahara didn't even move, and Grimmjow collapsed to the ground._
> 
> _"Oh, did I forget to mention? This is a special gigai that represses your reiatsu. It's one of a kind, really. Though, with your reiatsu dampened, it might be hard to move around at first…"_
> 
> _"You fucking bastard! You tricked me!" Grimmjow said, jumping to his feet. Well, attempting to. He made it about half way._
> 
> _Urahara chuckled, backing away with Tessai in tow. "_ _But, Mr. Jeagerjaques, it is precisely what I said it was. A gigai made to contain an Arrancar."_
> 
> _And, with that, he left._
> 
>  

Grimmjow growled his irritation into the night. He didn't even have a guard on him, his reiatsu was that far gone. _Well…_

He looked behind. A few feet away, a scrawny orange tabby was trotting behind him. Not a guard that could actually _stop_ him, that is.

"You gonna follow me all night, prissy paws?"

Ichigo hissed, but made no other response.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. _What was that guy worried about, anyways? There wasn't much he could do in such a weakened state…_

"Hey, you there!"

Grimmjow stopped.

A woman with long, straight black hair ran up to him. She was in a suit, and wore a determined smile. "Hi, my name's Ueno Izumi, have you ever thought of being a model?"

Grimmjow frowned. "A what?" _What did this woman want?_

She frowned in disbelief. "A model. You know, you show off clothes for big name designers… well, local designers, anyway."

Ichigo padded up then, sitting at Grimmjow's feet. He listened intently as the woman spoke.

"Why would I do that?"

The woman was even more confused. "Well, you'd get paid, and you could keep the clothes you model, kind of like advertising."

Grimmjow arched a brow. He was about to tell the woman to take a hike, when he was distracted by a meow. He looked down at Ichigo. "What? This shit is real?" Grimmjow pointed at the woman.

Ichigo nodded.

The woman's face fell more, if it were possible.

"So, what? I should do it?"

Ichigo nodded.

Grimmjow frowned. It sounded annoying. Then he glared at the woman.

She flinched.

_"Fine."_

The woman smiled.

Grimmjow held up a finger. "But I can only work at night."

"Uh… okay, I can work with that." She pulled out a business card out of her briefcase and handed it to Grimmjow. "Here, come to that address tomorrow at 8 p.m., Mr…"

"Jeagerjaques. Grimmjow Jeagerjaques." He took the card and examined it without interest.

"Wow! What a cool name, is it foreign?"

Grimmjow grinned, and she flinched. "Something like that." He pocketed the card and picked the protesting orange tabby up by the scruff.

Ueno watched him disappear a moment, then chuckled. She pulled out a cell phone and dialed. As she spoke, she started walking away. "Hey, he was right where you said he was." The woman laughed. "Yeah, talked to the cat and everything. And damn if he isn't sex on legs, mm." A pause. "You're so old fashioned, Kisuke-san. Even my daughter swears these days." Another pause. "I didn't say it was a good thing. Anyways, I owe you one. My boss was threatening to fire me if I didn't find another model soon…"

Ichigo continued to protest as Grimmjow carried him by the scruff. Then he stilled.

Grimmjow snorted. "Thought it would be about that time…" He set Ichigo down as he started transforming from cat to human.

The teen lay on the ground, panting as he recovered.

Grimmjow sat next to him, on the curb of the sidewalk. He rested his head in his palm. "So what's this modeling thing, anyways?"

Ichigo pulled himself off the ground, then moved to sit next to the Arrancar. "People taking pictures of you wearing their clothes so they can sell them better. It's stupid, but it should pay good, and then you can take care of yourself."

"Trying to get rid of me, prissy paws?" Grimmjow smirked.

"Would you stop calling me that? And who wouldn't try to get rid of a freeloader, especially when you destroyed my room today."

" _Che_ , don't be so uptight." Grimmjow looked to one side.

Ichigo snorted, but didn't reply.

There was silence.

"So… do you believe it?"

Grimmjow waited a second, then looked over at him. "What?"

Ichigo looked at him.

Grimmjow blinked. The expression was… surprisingly open. He wanted to say almost vulnerable, but… not really.

"About what Urahara and the Arrancar chick said."

Grimmjow waited a moment, then grinned.

"What? You got the hots for me, strawberry?" He leaned over until he was only a few inches from Ichigo's face.

The teen leaned away, rolling his eyes. " _Right_. I was being serious, you know."

Grimmjow chuckled, pulling away.

"I'm trying to figure out how to fix this."

Grimmjow's grin faded. He leaned back, one arm supporting his weight. He stared up at the sky. _There were so many stars, compared to Heuco Mundo…_ The Arrancar sighed through his nose, but said nothing. Then he grinned again, but softer this time. _It was at least more interesting than wandering around Heuco Mundo._

"Ack!"

Grimmjow fell back, and Ichigo flinched He turned his head and watched as Grimmjow turned back into a cat, gigai and all.

"Wow, Urahara knows his stuff."

Grimmjow, getting to his feet, hissed and glared. Then, as Ichigo made to stand up, jumped up onto Kurosaki's shoulder.

"What is with you? Are you really that lazy?" Ichigo stood.

Grimmjow licked his cheek, and grinned like a mischievous child.

Ichigo wiped the spot, then sighed and left it alone. He started walking, eyes dropping from staying up all night. When he almost fell asleep on his feet, he was awoken with a scratch to the cheek.

"Ow! Shit!" Ichigo attempted to jump away.

Grimmjow snorted and leap to the ground. "Mrow." It seemed to say _you brought it upon yourself_.

Ichigo glared, and pulled his hand away from the scratch. It was bleeding. He sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking again.

Grimmjow trotted ahead, tail in the air like a flag.

Ichigo snorted.

When he finally made it home, the teen collapsed on his bed, not even bothering to change his clothes or get under the blankets. He sighed, content. Tomorrow wasn't a school day, so as long as there weren't any-

"Hallow! Hallow! Hallow!"

Ichigo groaned. He glared at his shinigami badge, then sighed and grabbed it. His spirit was expelled from his body. He looked over to see Grimmjow staring. Ichigo looked around the room.

"Don't mess with anything." He jumped out the window.

Grimmjow snorted. He looked around the room, then Ichigo's physical body. He jumped up on the bed, and sat. He tilted his head to one side, considering. Then he sighed out his nose, jumped up on the dresser and curled up to go to sleep.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, Ichigo returned home. He hadn't had any rest all day. First had been the hallow attack, then he'd had to go to Seireitei immediately to give a report of his condition to Captain Commander, then when he got back there were more hallows, and then Urahara insisted on training and… well, he was utterly exhausted. He collapsed into his physical body, ready to pass out, when there was suddenly shouting in his ear.

"Ichigoooo!" Kon was right next to his face. "Help! This mad cat keeps attacking me! I think he's trying to eat me!"

"Grimmjow, leave Kon alone." Ichigo didn't even bother to open his eyes.

"Mrow!" came from somewhere in the room, indignant.

Ichigo sighed, trying to curl on his side.

"Wha- no! Stop! Bad kitty! Ichigooo!"

Ichigo ignored him, trying to sleep. Then he gasped. He shut his eyes tighter as the change ripped through him. But, he noted, it was only about half as bad as it had been the first time.

"Ichigo…?" this was Kon, quieter.

Ichigo mewled. Then he hissed as something draped itself over him.

"Oh hey, prissy paws, welcome back," Grimmjow said, not moving.

Ichigo ignored him, too. Maybe, just maybe, if he didn't react, they would leave him in peace and…

Grimmjow licked his ear.

"Geez, even dog tired you think too loud." The blue cat continued his grooming.

Ichigo mewled in protest, but was too tired to struggle.

Grimmjow didn't even say anything else, just continued grooming like nothing was wrong.

Ichigo sighed through his nose softly. Then, to his embarrassment, he began to purr.

Grimmjow paused, then grinned.

"Sure you don't have the hots for me, prissy paws? Or are ya just too shy to admit it?"

Ichigo cracked an eye open, then closed it and weakly tried to wiggle away.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes, resettling himself. "It's a reflex, I know, so hold still and go to sleep, idiot." He started grooming again.

Ichigo, unable to stop himself from purring, simply listened to the other cat's instructions. He passed out in no time flat.

The minute he was asleep, Grimmjow got up. He looked at Kon, who was staring in disbelief, and hissed.

The doll yelped and jumped away, running out of the room.

Grimmjow snorted and rolled his eyes. His tail twitched as he waited.  _Damn idiot, can't even take care of himself and he's yelling at me for being a freeloader…_  He looked over his shoulder at the sleeping tabby.

_"Do you think it's true? What Urahara and the Arrancar chick said?"_

Grimmjow snorted and looked away. _What a load of shit. How the hell would prissy paws be his 'true love'? Ugh, the words made him sick. All the guy was was some bratty teenager who happened to be a fucking powerhouse of reiatsu, that he could use to be more powerful than the Gotei 13 captains, Espadas more powerful than he was, more powerful than Aizen… a guy who was like him, searching for power, searching for the next battle to prove he was the strongest, to prove…_

Grimmjow sighed again. _Yeah, he and Ichigo were a lot alike. More than he wanted to admit._ He flinched when he felt a twinge in his chest. He jumped to the floor just in time to let the change take him. It really was getting easier. When he stood, he looked at the cat curled up on the bed. He rolled his eyes, then moved carefully to leave through the window. He grinned.

_Now wasn't the time to get sentimental._

Besides, he had a job to go to.


	4. Jobs are Hard

"Now, Mr… Jeagerjaques, we'd like to hire you…we really would… but…"

"You have no experience! No resume! You don't even have any identification! It's as if you just popped into the world yesterday!"

Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me!" the man yelled. He was average in every sense of the word, except for the comb over. That was spectacularly horrible.

The man behind the desk sighed. "What my… excitable brother is trying to say… is that we have no way... to know if you'll be a good… fit, here." He was broad, with a flat face and gray hair slicked back. He spoke in pauses, as if it were an effort to get the words out.

"Kagome-sama and Kagome-san," Izumi said, sliding forward in her seat smoothly. "Perhaps a test shoot would satisfy you? Mueller is all set to go."

Rikuto Kagome, the man behind the desk, sighed. It was as if thinking were even a task for him.

His brother, Jiro, tapped his foot, waiting for Rikuto's decision.

They were sitting in the office of the modeling company, Grimmjow slouched in the chair next to Izumi. They were currently discussing Grimmjow's possible future career, and the Kagome brothers weren't pleased.

"…very well," Rikuto said, taking out a cloth handkerchief to wipe his brow.

Jiro sneered.

Izumi smiled brightly. "You won't be disappointed, sirs." She stood. She didn't wait for Grimmjow to follow, simply grabbing him by the arm and hauling him out of the office.

Grimmjow stared. For a little woman, she was surprisingly strong.

Once they were out, she rounded on him. She glared. "You will _not_ be fucking this up."

"Hey, you're the one who asked me to-"

She poked him in the chest. "I'm taking a chance on you out of respect for a friend, but my job's on the line here. You fuck up, I get fired, understand?"

Grimmjow blinked. He'd assumed because of the sweet smile and disposition, that was all there was to the woman. He grinned. "What an actress."

Izumi blinked, then smiled with a cruel edge. She turned, waving her hand dismissively. "You have to be, especially in this business."

Grimmjow followed behind as she walked through the halls.

"You have to kiss the right person's ass and leave anyone else in the dust."

"I like it better already."

Izumi laughed. It was a bit more walking before Izumi flung open the door to a photography studio. "Kay! We're here, get set up!" 

"Ja, ja…" came a deep voice from somewhere in the room.

Izumi turned again. "As for you, Ayane-san, the designer, is in the back. He'll tell you what to wear."

Grimmjow snorted, but shrugged and went to the back.

There was a person there who could be a man just as easily as they could be a woman, sketching amidst a large clutter of cloth and finished clothing.

Grimmjow stared a moment. "Hey-"

" _Yeek!_ " Ayane squeaked, jumping at least a foot in the air. He peered around in confusion, then spotted Grimmjow. When he spoke, it was very soft. "Ah, sorry, you must be the new model, right?" He hugged his large sketchbook to himself.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that's me. And you're the designer."

"Kita Ayane, nice to meet you." The man bowed. He was very frail, his hair a complete mess.

"Whatever. Anyway, Izumi sent me-"

"Ah! Yes, please forgive me, one moment." Ayane put the sketchbook down.

Grimmjow snorted. _These were professionals?_ He wasn't sure how he felt about all this…

In a matter of about ten minutes, Grimmjow had changed into one of Ayane's outfits, and Kay, a broad German man who spoke heavily accented Japanese, was with his camera and ready.

Grimmjow just stood for a minute. He had no idea what they were expecting him to do.

"Hat er das vorher getan?" the blonde photographer asked Ayane.

The designer shook his head, then looked at Grimmjow. He made a habit of looking up at people through his lashes. "Ah, the theme of these outfits is 'urban animal'. All you have to do is personify that."

"Oh, is that all?" Grimmjow grinned his trademark feral grin. "Shoulda said that to begin with."

A couple hours later, Kay started packing up his gear.

"Ich werde sicher sein, das heute Abend entwickeln zu lassen," he said. He looked up from his case when he didn't get a response.

Ayane was standing stock still, mouth slightly open and eyes wide.

Kay sighed through his nose and, standing, went over to poke the smaller man in the shoulder. "He, Ayane, wissen Sie, dass Sie wie Ihr über zu der Samenerguss in Ihren Hosen richtig aussehen?"

"Kay-chan!" Ayane jumped in surprise and blushed.

Kay snorted, laughing and shaking his head. "Das ist fein. Wenn es meine Designs wäre, würde ich das auch ähnlich sein." He went back to his camera.

Ayane looked at him a moment, then his eyes flicked up to where Grimmjow was reemerging from changing back into his own clothes.

"Ja ... für einen Anfänger, er ist phänomenal ..." the designer said.

"Good job."

Grimmjow leaned back as a water bottle was thrust into his face. He took it, raising a brow at a smiling Izumi.

"More acting, or am I just that good?" He smirked as he examined the bottle.

Izumi rolled her eyes. "It's a compliment. I know with your attitude you probably don't get many, so I understand that it comes as a surprise." She crossed her arms and smiled.

Grimmjow snorted, taking a drink of water. "So this is it? This is the whole job?" He closed the bottle again.

Izumi sighed. "Well, there are different themes for different outfits that you have to match, and if you get really popular you might get interviewed or something, but yeah. For the most part, this is it." 

" _Che_. Too easy."

"Well, I'll call you tomorrow…"

"Don't have a phone. I'll just show up here." Grimmjow started to walk away.

"Ah, Jeagerjaques-san!" Ayane said, running up before Grimmjow could leave.

"Yeah?" Grimmjow asked.

Ayane suddenly bowed from the waist. "Thank you very much!"

Grimmjow scratched the back of his neck, not sure what to do. "Yeah, sure, whatever." He walked away.

Ayane looked up, face mostly expressionless.

Izumi walked over to pat him on the back. "Eh, don't worry about him, Ayane. He's just that type."

Grimmjow prowled downtown. He still had a couple of hours before he would turn into a cat, and he fully intended to use them.

"Hey, hot stuff, looking for some fun?"

Grimmjow turned at the husky female voice. From out of the shade came a woman dressed in skimpy clothes, a cigarette hanging from her mouth. She wasn't gorgeous, but she wasn't too bad looking, either. Even with all the makeup.

"Depends on the price," Grimmjow said, grinning lecherously.

The woman smiled, walking close enough to blow smoke in his face. "For you? I might considered a discount." She pressed up against him.

Grimmjow snorted. "Too bad, I'm outta funds." He backed up.

The woman frowned. "And here I thought I found a catch." She took an angry drag and disappeared into the shadows once more.

Grimmjow snorted, walking away. _Dumb bitch… fun to rile up, though._

Then again, everyone was fun to rile up…

Ichigo was sleeping peacefully, finally getting a full night's uninterrupted rest after so long. Usually, he would be called on to go fight hallows every once in a while, but since he couldn't, well… he couldn't. He didn't even wake up when he changed from cat to human, though the lessening pain certainly helped. It wasn't until there was a loud yowling outside his window that Kurosaki finally rose.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up…" he said, groggily letting the blue tortoiseshell in.

Grimmjow snorted, purposefully jumping into and off of Ichigo's stomach to get into the room.

"Ow! Shit! What the fuck?" 

Grimmjow stared up at him innocently. "Mew."

Ichigo puffed, then sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Mrow!"

"What?" Ichigo glared at the cat.

Grimmjow looked up a moment, then rolled onto his back and awkwardly patted his stomach.

Ichigo stared a moment, then crushed his palm into his eyes. "Are you serious? Did you not eat all night?"

"Mrow," Grimmjow replied, sitting up again.

Ichigo sighed once more, then got up. He changed into some baggy sweatpants and a loose tee, then clomped downstairs, Grimmjow at his heel. He went into the kitchen, and found some leftovers from the night before. Not even bothering to heat it up, he just opened the Tupperware and put it on the table where Grimmjow had hopped up to.

The blue cat glared.

"Take it out leave it." Ichigo moved to find some cereal for himself. _So much for sleeping in._

After getting his bowl ready, he grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV, lowering the volume so he wouldn't wake anyone up.

Grimmjow, with all the disdain he could muster, did eventually start eating the cold leftovers.

Ichigo leaned his head in his hand as he ate his cereal, watching a rerun of Don Kononji's stupid show.

"Mrow," Grimmjow said, obviously in disbelief as he watched.

Ichigo snorted, smiling. "He's an idiot, but's he's not a bad guy." Then he thought about it a minute, and his face fell. "…usually."

Grimmjow snorted, turning back to the leftovers. The room fell into a comfortable silence. Well, for a while, anyways.

"…oh! Good morning, big brother," Yuzu said, walking into the kitchen.

"Morning, Yuzu," he said, standing to wash his bowl. He snatched the empty Tupperware as well, Grimmjow having finished and laid down.

Yuzu gasped. "Brother! You can't let cats on the table, then they'll be cat hair everywhere!" She surprised the blue cat by shooing him off.

He glared, but it soon shifted to Ichigo as the teen snickered.

"Whoops, sorry, Yuzu," he said, finishing with his bowl. He turned to his sister. "Want some help with breakfast?"

"Wow! Big brother never has time to help anymore!" She grinned as they set to work.

Grimmjow, finding an out of the way corner, watched impassively.

After a while, Karin came down, sitting at the table and watching TV. Then, after failing to sneak attack Ichigo in his room, Isshin appeared to chastise his son for being up so early. Ichigo and Isshin started bickering, leaving Yuzu to finish making a real breakfast by herself. Karin complained, until breakfast was done and they all sat down to eat.

Grimmjow watched all of this without a sound, tail swishing lazily back and forth. Then, as the Kurosaki family ate, he got up and padded up to Ichigo's room. He jumped up onto the bed and curled up. He sighed and settled down to sleep.

_Lucky bastard…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hat er das vorher getan? - Has he done this before?
> 
> Ich werde sicher sein, das heute Abend entwickeln zu lassen. - I'll be sure to develop this tonight.
> 
> He, Ayane, wissen Sie, dass Sie wie Ihr über zu der Samenerguss in Ihren Hosen richtig aussehen? - Hey, Ayane, you know you look like you're about to cum in your pants right now?
> 
> Das ist fein. Wenn es meine Designs wäre, würde ich das auch ähnlich sein. - It's fine. If they were my designs, I would feel the same way.
> 
> Ja ... für einen Anfänger, er ist phänomenal ... - Yeah... for an amateur, he's phenomenal...


End file.
